What is Accelerated English Language Development?
ELD is the structured and systematic approach to teaching the five aspects of language: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Lexicon and Semantics.
What is the Purpose of ELD?
The purpose of ELD is to develop the foundational skills necessary to read with comprehension and write academically.
Our System of 16 High-Impact Methods
Syntax Surgery
Four-Picture Story Frames
What We Know
Single-Picture Text Webbing
Text-Vacation
Comprehension Skill Inventory
The Skeptic Scribe
Ask and Adjust
Language Warm-Up
Vocabulary Frames
Vertical Sentences
Function Junction
This or That
Morph House
Verb Tense Study
Grammar Study
To support teachers as they work to accelerate the language learning of their students, we provide by grade band and student language level:
Structured and systematic grammar scope and sequence guides,
Periodic benchmark assessment systems
Weekly prescribed methods mixes
Each method is a clearly defined set of steps that leads to a specifically desired linguistic outcome. These methods can be easily used in conjunction with any current reading curriculum, content-area progression, or vocabulary system currently being used by your district.
Accelerated ELD Seminar Options
GRAMMAR BASICS: LEARNING TO PLAY BY THE RULES
Description: Students new to our schools with virtually no English language skills present a unique challenge to educators. This session shows teachers specific methods to use with this group of students to accelerate their pronunciation skills, their ability to form sentences and their vocabulary. The methods are interactive, fun and utilized by schools and districts across the country, and endorsed by the Arizona Department of Education.
Teachers will:
1. Learn the how and why of accelerating language learning by emphasizing verb tense teaching;
2. How to teach three different kinds of English vocabulary that get kids talking and interacting with content.
ADVANCED GRAMMAR CAMP: USING THE RULES TO WIN THE GAME
Description: As students reach a level of intermediate language proficiency according to most state-level assessments, they predictably plateau and make only minimal progress from there. In fact, nearly sixty percent of students nationally that reach a level of intermediate are never reclassified as fully English proficient. This session focuses on the English grammar concepts and syntax patterns needed to speak and write with compound and complex sentences. Teachers will leave with three specific methods to continue to accelerate student learning beyond the intermediate barrier and on to full reclassification.
Teachers will:
1. Learn the how and why of accelerating students’ language learning by emphasizing syntax patterns and use of conjunctions to increase length and complexity of student expression;
2. Implement two high-impact methods that apply advanced English grammar concepts to get students reading with comprehension and writing more academically.
ORAL LANGUAGE METHODS: HIGH-IMPACT METHODS THAT GET STUDENTS TALKING QUICKLY!
Description: Students new to our schools with virtually no English language skills present a unique challenge to educators. This session shows teachers specific methods to use with this group of students to accelerate their pronunciation skills, their ability to form sentences and their vocabulary. The methods are interactive, fun and proven to accelerate English learning.
Teachers will:
1. Learn the linguistic profile of students new to English or at the beginning stages;
2. Implement five methods for teaching students sentence structures that lead to academic expression.
DISCRETE GRAMMAR METHODS: A FOCUS ON ACCURACY AND PRECISION FOR WRITING
Description: The largest group of English learners nationally are those with intermediate English language competence. Unfortunately, many students in this group are “stuck”, and their underdeveloped language skills are progressively inadequate to do rigorous, grade-level academic work. To move these students out of intermediate requires that teachers understand the typical intermediate profile, and that they be able to teach the critical language skills to move them to full proficiency. Certain methods are essential, as are the consistent implementation by teachers of language-blasting principles.
Teachers will:
1. Implement four methods that address the key language deficiencies for students at this level;
2. Learn how to assertively alter the classroom discourse patterns in most classrooms that keep intermediate students from progressing.
ADVANCED METHODS: GET THEM TO READ WITH COMPREHENSION AND WRITE ACADEMICALLY
Description: For English learners and students with underdeveloped English language skills, reading comprehension and writing skills are frequently low. Linguistic research clearly shows that discrete grammar skills mastery can unlock reading and writing capabilities. This session helps teachers to integrate grammar instruction with linguistically informed methods of reading and writing instruction. Special emphasis is placed on how teachers can link students’ grammar knowledge and skills to expository text composition and comprehension.
Teachers will:
1. Learn the linguistic elements of typical grade-level text that thwart English learners’ reading comprehension;
2. Learn how to pre-plan a reading comprehension lesson for students with underdeveloped English competence using two specific advanced language methods.
EXTENDED SUPPORT: SO THEY’RE RECLASSIFIED…NOW WHAT?
Description: New state and national testing requirements place a premium on academic writing competence. Complex sentence structures, sentence variety and structural accuracy are challenging for English learners and students with underdeveloped English language skills. This session focuses on moving students effectively from tightly structured and mediated writing tasks to independent writing. Special emphasis is placed on showing teachers how the use of grammatically based sentence patterns can help students to structure sentences, paragraphs and multi-paragraph writing that effectively communicates their content area knowledge.
Teachers will:
1. Implement three collaborative methods for teaching academic writing;
2. Learn a step-by-step approach to writing that gradually transfers responsibility to students without a loss in output or quality.